Compromises
by DangerMouse
Summary: P/O slash (established relationship) Percy and Oliver decide to move in together and learn that love is full of compromises.


Compromises

by: dangermouse

It was a big step. 

Percy smiled, looking around the empty flat. It hadn't taken Oliver and himself long to decide on a place. Not too big, not too small, lots of potential - it was everything they wanted. Percy tapped his toes on the hardwood floors, relishing in the echo it cast about the room. A modest fireplace in the main living area sat cold and empty only briefly, blazing to life with a soft-spoken word from the bespectacled redhead. A knock at the door startled Percy out of his musings.

"Coming!" he called, stepping over a yet-unpacked box of knick-knacks he had brought from The Burrow, walking to the door and peaking out the peephole. A heavy-set woman with frizzy hair waved at him as he opened the door, a large envelope under one arm.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley!" she said, giving him a wide smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Tempton," Percy replied, stepping aside to let his landlord in. She thrust the heavy envelope into his hands as she began talking in a hurried, loud voice.

"Everything alright with the flat so far?" she asked.

"Well, everything is--"

"Excellent, excellent," Mrs. Tempton cut him off with a wave of her hand. "In that envelope is a copy of all of your lease agreement and the complex's rules. Do you have any questions?"

"Not so far, but--" Percy began, only to be interrupted again.

"No loud noises, no large dogs, no loud music after ten o'clock in the evening, rent is due on the first of the month with a £10 penalty every day that it's late, no more than three visitors at a time, we pay gas, you pay all other bills, all vehicles must have a resident sticker on the back window and your visitors must get a temporary permit from the main office, no large plants on the balcony, pest-treatment will occur on the tenth of every month, no duplicating keys without permission, trash cannot be left on the balcony or porch, no smoking inside the apartment, you pay for all damages when you move out, the apartment will be inspected before you leave, delivered packages can be picked up in the main office, all pets must be walked in the designated area, no swimming in the pool after ten o'clock in the evening, no grills on the balcony, you cannot repair your vehicle in the parking lot, and the gate code is not to be given out to anyone. Got all of that?" Percy was amazed she got all of that out in one breath.

"Yes, that's--"

"Fine, fine, fine," Mrs. Tempton said with a grin. "Also in that envelope is your move-in checklist. You need to inspect the outlets, the doors, the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, the oven, the stove, the refrigerator, the windows, the mini-blinds, the door locks, any holes you find in the walls, any cracks on the ceiling, the carpet, the tile, the wood floors, all recessed lighting, the fireplace, the dishwasher, the shower faucet, the shower head, the toilet, the condition of all cabinets and nooks, the ceiling fans, the closets, the pantry, the condition of the balcony and the porch, the air conditioner, and the heater. Mark any damages you find on the checklist so we won't hold you responsible for them when you check out. When you give me the completed checklist, I'll give you your mailbox key. When you move out, if the apartment is in good condition, you receive £200 of your £300 deposit. Is that all clear?"

"Yes, I understa--"

"Wonderful, wonderful. Welcome to The Heights, Mr. Weasley! We hope to keep you and your roommate as residents for a long, long time. See you later!" Mrs. Tempton gave one more wave as she rushed back out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Percy blinked.

"Wow," he murmured, walking over to the kitchen counter, opening the envelope as he did. He took out the extensive move-in checklist papers and gave a great sigh. It looked like he had a lot of work ahead of him.

* * * * * *

"That's hideous," Oliver said with a frown.

"It's simple and elegant," Percy countered, trying not to sound snippy.

"It's boring and pretentious," Oliver replied, frowning even deeper.

The store clerk cleared his throat before Percy could say anything else. "We could look at other headboards," he suggested nervously, rising up on the balls of his feet, hands clasped behind his back.

"We've looked at a hundred headboards already," Oliver snapped, glaring at the clerk, who cowered back.

"Don't be dramatic," Percy said with a roll of his eyes. "We've looked at less than thirty."

"I don't see why we even need a headboard for the bed," said the dark-haired quidditch player, turning to look at his lover. "What's wrong with just the mattress?"

"It makes the room look sloppy without it," Percy said. "The bed is the focal point of the whole room! How can we buy the rest of the furniture if we don't have the bed set up neatly?"

"You've been watching that decorating show on the telly again, haven't you?" Oliver accused the redhead, who blushed slightly, then shrugged.

"It's important to have a neat looking home. What if I have to invite people from the Ministry over? They expect a certain level of taste. We have to decorate for them, not for your quidditch team." Oliver blinked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and his voice.

The clerk stepped back as the argument escalated, only to be joined by another clerk from the store. 

"How long have they been married?" whispered the second clerk to the first, grinning from ear-to-ear. The first turned and shrugged at his co-worker.

"Not long enough," he whispered back. They both stood quietly, watching the argument with growing trepidation and amusement.

* * * * * *

It had taken them close to two weeks, but Oliver and Percy had finally managed to reach a compromise on the furniture for their new home. A few bruised feelings and some sore tempers were the only casualties in the Battle of the Décor, with both sides feeling they had come to a reasonable stalemate. All that remained was moving in everything else from their old homes into the new.

Oliver thought this would be the easy part.

He couldn't believe he was so naive.

"No," Percy said simply, crossing his arms over his chest, his Ministry robes hugging close to his body in a way that usually set Oliver's mind right off, filling it with many wicked thoughts. Tonight, though, it just made Percy seem haughty.

"Yes," Oliver replied in kind, mimicking his lover's stance.

"You're not putting that... that... _thing_ in the living room."

"Oh, yes I am," Oliver said, narrowing his eyes in what he hoped was a decent glare. Percy was unfazed.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Not in this life time."

"Wanna bet?"

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arraigned," Oliver said with a growl.

"It's filthy and it smells funny."

"It's a classic!" Oliver protested. "And it has special meaning."

"It can still have special meaning - in the storage closet." Percy replied calmly, pointing over to a recessed closet by the kitchen.

"It does NOT deserve to be locked away! It's very important to me!"

"IT'S A DEAD STUFFED RABBIT WITH ANTLERS GLUED TO ITS HEAD!" Percy finally yelled, his patience reaching the breaking point. "What kind of 'special meaning' can it possibly have for you?"

Oliver hefted said dead stuffed rabbit with antlers glued to its head, sitting forever in a mid-leap on a dusty wooden plaque, to eye level and sighed wistfully. "I bought this at a local flea market after winning my first game with the Manchester Marlins." Percy let out a little whine of despair before smacking his forehead with his hand.

"You couldn't buy a T-shirt or a button or something? Why that... _thing_? Why in our living room?"

"This _thing_ happens to be a Jackalope," Oliver corrected him, "and its meaning is very deep. We never should have won that game - it was as unlikely and unexpected. It was a real freak of nature and chance that victory was ours. This little guy helps me remember that sometimes even the impossible is possible."

"The. Antlers. Are. Glued. On," Percy said slowly, enunciating every word as clearly as possible so that Oliver could understand him. "It's not a real animal. It's just a figment of some twisted Texan's imagination."

"I _know_ that!" Oliver said, rolling his eyes. "That's not the point. It's _symbolic_!"

Percy sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his glasses slipping down away from his eyes. "Fine," he conceded, closing his eyes. "It can go on the bookshelf. Just promise me I can throw a sheet over it when I have formal company."

"Deal!" Oliver said with a grin, practically skipping over to the bookshelf, moving aside a few pictures of the Weasley family to make room for the Jackalope. He stood back and smiled at the animal, hands resting on his hips. Turning, he saw Percy still standing in the same spot, frowning at it as he pushed his glasses up. Oliver walked over to the redhead and stood behind him, wrapping his arms possessively around his waist.

"See?" Oliver said as they both gazed at the dead animal. "It looks great." Percy chuckled lightly, shaking his head, a small smile on his face. He leaned back into Oliver's embrace, raising his own hands to cover the others at his waist.

"I had no idea this would be so difficult," Percy said, turning his head slightly to look at Oliver. The taller man grinned down at the Percy, then placed a small kiss on his temple.

"Moving in to an apartment or moving in to an apartment together?" Oliver said softly, almost whispering in to Percy's ear. 

"Both," Percy replied honestly.

"Regrets?" Oliver asked, a note of worry in his voice, his grip around Percy's waist tightening slightly.

"None," the redhead replied, rubbing a hand over Oliver's strong arms, feeling them relax around him once again. "I love every minute of this, even when you're pissing me off."

"Love's full of compromises," Oliver murmured, placing a series of small kisses on the back of Percy's neck. Percy sighed contentedly, settling himself in Oliver's embrace. The quidditch player leaned forward once again, his mouth close to Percy's ear.

"Now," he whispered, almost seductively, "about my quidditch posters..."

"They're not going in the bedroom," Percy replied in kind, turning to place a quick on Oliver's cheek.

"Yes, they are."

"No they're not."

"Yes, they are. Right above the bed."

"How about under the bed?"

"Why not plastered against the north wall?

"They're not going in there, Ol."

"Wanna bet?"

~The End~


End file.
